On sick leave? Is it okay to get back to work?

Can a person suffering from chickenpox get back to work in a week? Our expert answers!

By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | | Updated: October 23, 2015 3:28 pm

I have been effectively treated for malaria, when can I get back to work?

I no longer experience any symptoms of chicken pox, can I resume my work?

How long should a person infected with swine flu stay indoors?

After being diagnosed and treated for any disease, the first thought to pop-up is how soon can I get back to work? While the recovery period is different for various diseases, Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee, President Heart Care Foundation of India & Honorary Secretary General Indian Medical Association sheds light on the recovery period of common diseases.

Malaria: With proper treatment, symptoms of malaria usually go within two weeks. Malaria is not contagious so once the fever is manageable, one can join work. To help you in the recovery process, here are dietary dos and don’ts one should follow.

Chickenpox: Once the symptoms start to appear, it usually takes around 10 days for the infection to subside. And most importantly, you should remain indoors once you get diagnosed or the symptoms start to appear. A person is contagious once he contracts the infection even if rashes are yet to appear, until the crust of blisters fall (which is usually 5 days after the first blisters appear).

Oral (mouth) herpes: The symptoms of herpes appear 1 to 2 weeks after you contact the virus. It gets easily transmitted by direct exposure to saliva, air droplets (in breath) or skin contact with infected areas. Hence, it is advisable that a person suffering from herpes should resume work only after complete healing of sores (which differs from person to person).

Genital herpes: Once exposed to the virus, it normally takes a week or two for the symptoms of genital herpes to appear. And over the next 2-3 weeks, blisters appear and rupture into painful open sores. The lesions eventually dry out, develop a crust and then heal rapidly without leaving a scar. It takes around 6 weeks for the lesions to heal.

Dengue: In this, the acute febrile phase lasts for about 2-7 days and is frequently accompanied by facial flushing, skin erythema (redness), generalized body ache, myalgia (muscle pain), arthralgia (joint pain) and headache. It is followed by a period of clinically significant plasma leakage, causing a shock that usually lasts around 24–48 hours. The final phase is a steady reabsorption of extravascular compartment fluid in the following 48–72 hours. Dengue is not contagious and hence one can resume work subject to fever and weakness limitation. Here’s everything you need to know about dengue.

Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B spreads only via blood and body secretions. However, rest is advised only in acute cases and depending on the level of liver enzymes in the blood. So one can get back to work if they feel completely fine.

Swine flu: It is highly contagious and thus, people with swine flu should stay indoors for at least 24 hours after the fever subsides. As high temperature is associated with increased shedding 0f influenza virus, staying indoors might reduce the spread of virus to others. Hence, restriction from camps, schools, businesses, mass gatherings and other community settings is highly recommended, if suffering from swine flu.

Cholera: Patients are presumably infectious till the stools are positive, which is usually only a few days after recovery. But a carrier state might persist for several months. Transmission usually occurs by ingestion of water and food contaminated with the bacteria. However, an infection can also occur through person-to-person transmission, especially in crowded places. Adequate control measures for prevention of infection include rapid and accurate microbiological diagnosis, prompt treatment, patient isolation and preventive education. Read more about cholera — causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and home remedies.

Conjunctivitis: Viral conjunctivitis is mild, and symptoms usually get resolved in 7-14 days without treatment and long-term effects. Whereas bacterial conjunctivitis may last for only 2-3 days (in some cases) or may take up to 2-3 weeks to resolve. Many cases improve in 2-5 days without treatment. Conjunctivitis can spread by touching/ coming in contact with an infected person.

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Published : August 25, 2015 5:06 pm | Updated:October 23, 2015 3:28 pm

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